Addition of Antibiotics to Upfront Treatment Regimen for Colorectal Cancer

August 14, 2026 updated by: Virginia Commonwealth University

Pilot Study Evaluating Microbiome Modulation Therapy (MBMT) With Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole, and Aspirin in Addition to Standard of Care Chemotherapy in Patients Undergoing First-Line Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

This is a 2-arm, noncomparative phase 2 trial designed to evaluate treatment outcomes with or without the addition of ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, and aspirin to first-line chemotherapy for patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy with or without MBMT in patients with metastatic CRC. The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy, as determined by the ORR, of fluorouracil (5FU) based treatment regimen with and without MBMT in patients with CRC.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
97

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Massey IIT Research Operations
  • Phone Number: 804-628-6430
  • Email: masseyepd@vcu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Virginia
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298
        • Recruiting
        • Virginia Commonwealth University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Emily Kinsey, MD
        • Contact:
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23229
        • Recruiting
        • Virginia Cancer Institute (VCI)
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Purvi Shah, MD
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of stage IV colorectal cancer
  • Measurable disease by Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria
  • Planned first-line treatment with a 5FU-based doublet chemotherapy regimen for colon cancer, specifics of the regimen at the discretion of the treating physician Note: Patients who have received adjuvant therapy >6 months prior are eligible
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-2
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1,500 cells/μL
  • Platelet count ≥100,000 cells/μL
  • Hemoglobin ≥8 g/dL Note: The use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve hemoglobin ≥8 g/dL is acceptable.
  • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤2.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) Note: Patients with documented liver metastases: AST and ALT ≤5 × ULN
  • Serum creatinine ≤1.5 x ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥40 mL/min using the Cockcroft-Gault equation: (140 - age) × body weight/plasma creatinine × 72 (× 0.85 if female)
  • Radiographically measurable disease by RECIST 1.1
  • Nonpregnant and not actively breastfeeding
  • Sexually active patients of childbearing potential and their partners must agree to use medically acceptable form of contraception, per treating investigator, throughout the study Patients should continue to use medically acceptable methods of contraception after study treatment ends, following the guidance for their specific chemotherapy regimen.

Childbearing potential excludes:

Age > 50 years and naturally amenorrhoeic for > 1 year OR previous hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

  • Patients on a pre-existing daily aspirin regimen may participate in the study without interrupting this regimen.
  • Patients with a contraindication to aspirin may participate in the study. These patients will not be required to take aspirin as part of the study treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Total colectomy
  • Diagnosed with Cockayne Syndrome
  • Using disulfiram, tizanidine, or theophylline and unable to stop taking these medications for the length of the microbiome modulation therapy
  • On methotrexate doses of 15 mg/week or more
  • History of allergic reaction to ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, or aspirin
  • Fuss course of antibiotics in the 30 days before chemotherapy start Note: Full course is defined as ≥5 doses with an intent to treat a defined infection. Use of antibiotics intended for prophylaxis at the time of surgery is allowed
  • Corrected QT interval (QTc) >480 on baseline ECG
  • Diagnosed with a malabsorptive syndrome
  • Inability to swallow tablets

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Standard of care

First line chemotherapy as directed. Standard of care chemotherapy treatment options include but are not limited to the following:

  • FOLFOX every 2 weeks
  • FOLFIRI every 2 weeks
  • FOLFOX + bevacizumab or panitumumab every 2 weeks
  • FOLFIRI + bevacizumab or panitumumab every 2 weeks
  • CAPEOX every 3 weeks
  • CAPEOX + bevacizumab or panitumumab every 3 weeks
Experimental: Metronidazole Ciprofloxacin and Aspirin Therapy
First line chemo therapy (standard of care) + Microbiome modulation therapy MBMT 500 mg metronidazole 3 times daily, 500 mg ciprofloxacin twice daily, and 81 mg aspirin once daily for 28 days
Drug: Standard of Care Chemotherapy + Metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, aspirin
Metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, aspirin is initiated Cycle 1 Day 1 of chemotherapy. May be initiated any time from 7 days before Cycle 1 Day 1 up to and including Cycle 1 Day 3

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Best response by analysis using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) of a fluorouracil (based) treatment regimen with or without the addition of MBMT in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) by the number of participants that have a partial (PR) or complete response (CR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) criteria.
Up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Estimate the overall survival (OS) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with a 5FU-based treatment regimen with or without the addition of MBMT.
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Evaluate the overall participant survival (OS) defined as the duration of time from diagnosis to date of death by any cause.
Up to 5 years
Estimate the progression free survival (PFS) of patients with CRC treated with a 5FU-based treatment regimen with or without the addition of the MBMT
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Progression free survival (PFS) is defined as the duration of time from start of study 5FU-based treatment regimen to date of first progression or relapse.
Up to 5 years
Assess the tolerability of the study antibiotic regimen
Time Frame: Day 28 +/- 7 days
Total number of antibiotic doses over 28 days
Day 28 +/- 7 days
Assess the tolerability of the study aspirin regimen for the duration of chemotherapy
Time Frame: Day 28 +/- 7 days
Total number of aspirin doses over 28 days
Day 28 +/- 7 days
Evaluate the safety of MBMT in addition to a 5FU-based treatment regimen
Time Frame: Beginning of study procedures through day 28 Non-interventional arm), through day 90 (interventional arm)
The number of Adverse Events (AEs) captured using criteria in the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 5.0 (CTCAE v5.0)
Beginning of study procedures through day 28 Non-interventional arm), through day 90 (interventional arm)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Virginia Commonwealth University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
American Cancer Society, Inc.

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Emily Kinsey, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 7, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2035

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2035

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 7, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 5, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 11, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MCC-23-20875
  • HM20031481 (Other Identifier: Virginia Commonwealth University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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